TAKING
ANOTHER’S PLACE
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Taking Another’s Place.”
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias: the
disciple who won the lottery and got to take Judas’ place.
They drew lots and Mathias was chosen.
I was thinking last night - after thinking about Matthias
- taking another’s place is something to think about. Matthias was different than Joseph called Barsabbas - the two
finalists. Sometimes you just have to say a prayer and roll the dice. As today’s first reading puts it: “and the
lot fell upon Matthias and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.”
TWO QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT
When I take another’s place, what was that like for me?
When another takes another’s place, how do we deal with
that situation?
THE FIRST QUESTION: ME
Have I ever been the new wife or husband or mother or
father? Have I ever been the new boss,
the new teacher, the new supervisor? What was that like?
Have I ever experienced comparisons? Have I ever been bad mouthed by folks - who
say the person I replaced was much
better than I am? How did that feel?
What was my reaction?
SECOND QUESTION: WE
We have a new pastor coming here by this August - what do our comments about priests and pastors sound like? Being a priest, I know this is a regular
topic in a regular parish.
Do I see the
benefits of comparisons and contrasts? Do I make them learning experiences -
like the difference between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis and Pope John Paul
II - and Fathers John Hamrogue, Pat Flynn and Ted Heyburn?
Do I make comments about others without really knowing
them? Do I give new people a chance?
Do I lose out when another person is in the pulpit or at
the altar and I want someone else - so I don’t listen?
COMPARISONS: 3 QUOTES - JUST IN CASE THESE COMMENTS
DON’T FLOAT
The issue of comparisons seems to be key to a lot of
complaints and comments about others - who are up front.
Here are 3 quotes about comparisons to trigger some
thinking about this topic of comparing others or oneself to others:
“Comparisons are the enemy’s way of telling you God
cheated you.”
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower
next to it, it just blooms.”
“You’ll never look like the girl in the magazine. The girl in the magazine will never look like
the girl in the magazine.”
A CLOSING EXAMPLE - ON THE ISSUE OF COMPLAINTS
A pastor had a
special black book labeled, “Complaints of Members Against One Another.” When a member of the congregation told him
about the faults of another, he would say, ‘Here is my complaint book. I will
write down what you say, and you can sign it.
Then when I have time I will take up the matter officially concerning
this person.’ The sight of the open book
and the ready pen had its effect. ‘Oh, no, I couldn’t sign anything like that!’ they would
say. In 40 years this pastor never got
anyone to write a line in it.” [Voice of Truth]
